Safety-razor strop



Dec. 1, 1925. 1,563,852

, H. B. HARTMAN SAFETY RAZOR STROP Filed June 14, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 EBuZYarZTnan,

Mr/vEssEs.--

Dec. 1 1925 1,563,852

H. B. HARTMAN SAFETY RAZ 0R STROP Filed June 14, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheat 2 Patented Dec. 1, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY BUXTON HAB'I'MAN, OF SCOTTDALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY-RAZOR STROP.

Application filed June 14, 192-3. Serial No. 645,390.

To all whom it. may con-cm.

Be it known that I, HARRY BUXTON HART- MAN, citizen of the United States, residing at Scottdale, in the county of VVestmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Razor Strops, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in razor stropping devices, and more particularly to a stropper adapted for sharpening the blades used in safety razors.

To that end the invention contemplates a safety-razor blade-stropper for sharpening both edges of double edged blades or if desired to also sharpen single edged blades. In many of the stroppers'now in general use the blades are oscillated into engagement with the reciprocatory strop and the oscillatory movement of the blade is brought about by a pressure exerted against the in-V her or stropping face of the strop, and this action has a tendency to greatly injure the stropping face. Furthermore, in these commercial stro-ppers, the blades are not always started in their oscillatory movement until after the strop has begun its movement of reciprocation and inasmuch as the moveinent of the strop is against the cutting edge of the blade, the strop is very often injured by said blade.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a stropper which is capable of sharpening either a double edged or a single edged safety razor blade with ease and, facility.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stropper for sharpening both edges of a. double edged safety razor blade without reversing or without removing the blade.

A further object is to provide a tensioning device for the strep which engages the outer face thereof so as to avoid injury to the inner face of the strop.

A still further object is to providemeans for causing the blade to begin its movement of oscillation priorto the strop beginning its major movement of reciprocation whereby-all danger of thestrop being cut by the blade will be prevented.

With these and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention i better understood, the same con sists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of a stropper embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line-j33 of Figure 1. a

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional vie taken on the line 4t4; of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view through the stropper, showing a double edged blade supported thereon.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a detail elevation showing a single edgedblade and holder therefor, and

Figure 9 is an end elevation thereof.

Like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a main frame A which. I preferably stamp from a single blank of sheet metal and bend into a U-shaped formation to provide spaced parallel legs 5 and 6 respectively, and a connecting portion 7, the latter being stamped with depending side flanges 88. Journ'aled in the legs5 and 6 is a razor blade carrier which I have designated as a whole by the reference letter B, this carrier being journaled in bearings 9 and 10 which are re spectively formed in the legs 5 and 6.

The carrier B is preferably formed from an elongated strip of sheet metal which is re-bent as at 1 1 to form spaced parallel walls 12 12, the free end portions of the walls 12 being curved to conjointly form a journal 13 engageable with the bearing 10 in the leg 6 of the mainframe. The re-bent end portion 11 of the carrier is frictionally engaged with an angular opening 14 formed in a bearing sleeve 15, engageable in the bearing 9 of the leg. 5 0f thennain frame. This bearing sleeve 15 is formed with peripheral flanges 16 and 17 which are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the leg 6. These. flanges,

18 which extends upwardly towards the connecting portion 7 of the frame for the purpose hereinafter described. The walls 1212 of, the carrier are each formed with upper and lower inwardly offset and longitudinallly extending razor blade gripping jaws 19 and 20.

Journaled in the legs of the main frame above the carrier B is a roller bearing for the strop C. This roller bearing consists in a rod 21 fixed to saidlegs and a bearing sleeve or roller 22 which is loosely journaled on said rod and over which the strop C is re-bent.

In order to oscillate the carrier B by reciprocatory movements of the strop, I have provided a rocking frame which I have indicated as a whole by the reference character D. This rocking frame is preferably formed of sheet metal and is stamped into a U-shaped form consisting of spaced legs 23 and 24; respectively and a connecting portion 25, the said legs being journaled on the rod 21 and the connecting portion 25 being disposed between said rod 2 1 and the connecting Portion 7 of the main frame, the legs 23 and 2&1 embracing the strop C. The lower extremity of the leg 23 is provided ;with a toothed segment 26 which engages the segment 18 of the carrierB. Thus when the frame D is rocked about its fulcrum upon reciprocatory movements of the'strop, the razor bladecarrier B will be rocked in the opposite direction. The end portion of the strop extends downwardly on opposite sides of the razor blade carrier and on the opposite sides of the spacingbar27 which is secured to the lower end of said main frame. v The segmental rack l8 of the carrier is disposed n an arc struck from the axis of the fc'arrier and the segmental rack 26 is disposedin an arcstr uck from the axis of the rocking frame. The radius of the segmental rack '18 is considerably less than the radius of the rack 26. 'Conseque11tly the slightest oscillation Qf 'tl1 rocking frame will multiply the rocking movement of the carrier B.

In 'orderto oscillate the rocking frame D.

upon reciprocatory movement of the strop C, I provide 'a tensioning device for said strop. v This tensioning. device consists of a pressure plate 28 whic'h is disposedabove thebearing'roller or sleeve 22and the rebent portion of the strop is disposed between "the said bearing plate and said roller The opposite .ends lof the pjres sure 'platfev are form d w th gu d ng. tongues 'fl2 ,.whi h have free sliding movements in vertically fei nd g lcit ';3Q. for ed in the. l gs 2 and 2 .t erro k ngpfmme was t retain said plate against lateral movements relativefto said frame but to permit vertical fmovement's Qrelative thereto. order to exert a .p'redeterl'mned pressure upon the outer face of the strop by said plate I have provided an upwardly bowed fiat spring 31, the ends thereof having slidable engagements on the end portions of said pressure plate. The end portions of the spring 31 are disposed between spaced lugs 32-32 and 3333 respectively, said lugs being preferably stamped from the pressure plate and serve to retain the spring 31 against accidental displacement. In order to vary the amount of pressure by the spring 31, I have provided an adjusting screw 34 which consists of a threaded shank 35 and a knurled head: 36. The knurled head is disposed between the spring 31 and the'connecting portion25 of the rocking frame D, and the shank 'has threaded engagement with said connecting portion 25. The diameter of the head 36 is greater than the width of the connecting portion 25 so as to extend beyond the side edges thereofand thereby permit said head to be readily engaged by the fingers.

In order to provide means for supporting either a double edged blade or a single edged blade within the carrier B, I have provided blade holders E and F respectively. The holder E is formed from a flat piece of metal and extending from one face thereof is a plurality of studs 37-37 for supporting a double edged blade 38, said blade having openings 3939 for receiving the studs "37. The holder F is likewise formed from fiat me al and includes spaced resilient clamping arms 401O adapted to-receive and frictionally engage the butt edge portion of a single edged razor blade 41. The holders E and F are adapted to be positioned in the carrier between the spaced walls 12-l2 thereof. An insertion is made through an elongated opening/12 formed in the leg 6 ofthe main frame A. This opening extends above and below the bearing 10 and the lower portion of said opening &2 is of a greater length than-the upper portion thereofso as to permit the single edged blade +11 being readily inserted within the carrier.

It is to be noted that when the holdcrE and the doubleedged blade 38 is inserted, said blade will be frictionall-y gripped by the gripping jaws 1E) and 20 of the carrier. When, however, the holder F and the single edged bladefil is inserted the gripping jaws 20 only engage the blade.

Inorder to attachthe stropper to any suitable support I have provided the main frame A with a swivel ringt3, said ring being swiveled in the connecting portion 7 of the frame. H c

,From the foregoing, itwillbe observed hat, when, uffie e t p ss re. is exer ed against the stropthrough the medium of the spring 31, a resistance to the reciprocatory movement of the strop relative-to the rocking frame will be created.- Consequently till the rocking frame will be oscillated prior to the strop being reciprocated relative to said rocking frame. Inasmuch as the rocking movement of the carrier is multiplied by the segmental rack connections with the rocking frame, the initial movement of the strop will cause the blade to be quickly withdrawn from its engagement with the strop and as a result the blade will not cut or otherwise injure said strop.

It will be also observed that I have provided astropper which is adapted to sharpen either a double edged or a single edged safety razor blade; that both edges of the double edged blade will be sharpened without the necessity of either reversing or removing the blade; that the tensioning device for the strop engages the outer face thereof and consequently the inner or sharpening face of the strop will not be injured thereby, and that the oscillatory movement of the blade is begun prior to the major reciprocatory movement of the strop and consequently the blade is withdrawn from the strop and the latter will not be injured or cut by said blade. lVhen the blade is rocked into engagement with the inside face of the strop C by manipulating" the strop, it will be seen that the walls or plates which connect the legs 5 and 6 form abutments against which the strop bears to limit the amplitude of oscillation of the blade and also insure lirm contact between the blade edge and the strop.

\Vithout further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the inveution will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will, of course, be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A razor blade stroppcr including main fran'ie consisting of top and side members, a rockable frame also consisting of top and side members and fitting within said main frame, a member pivo'tally connecting the main and rockable frames and holding the same in assembled relation, means on the main frame for supporting a razor blade holder and operatively connected with the rocking frame, a strop passing over the member for pivotally connecting said f miles, and a tensioning device carried by the rocking frame and having a part for engaging the strop.

2. A razor blade stropper including a main frame consisting of top and side members and a rocking frame also consisting of top and side members journaled on the main frame at the inside thereof and provided with a bearing rod, a strop don-bled over said rod, a razor blade carrier disposed be tween and journaled in the side members of the said main frame, means connecting the rocking frame and the blade carrier for rocking the latter upon the movement of the rocking frame, and tensioning means carried by the rocking frame and cooperating with the bearing rod and the outer face of the strop whereby the movement of the latter actuates the frame.

3. In a razor blade stropper, the combination with a main frame, of a rocking frame journaled on the. main frame and provided with a bearing rod, a strop re-bent over said rod, a razor blade carrier disposed between the end portions of the strop and journaled on said main frame, means connecting the rocking frame and the carrier for rocking the latter upon rocking movements of the former, and a pressure plate disposed above the bearing rod and co-operating with the outer face of the strop, and means for varying the pressure of the plate against the strop.

4. In a razor blade stropper, the combination with a main frame, including a bearing rod, of a strop re-bent over said rod, a rocking frame including spaced legs and a connecting portion, the legs embracing the strop and being 'fulcrumed on said rod, a razor blade carrier disposed between the end portions of the strop and journaled on the main frame below the rockingframe, means wherebythe rocking frame engages said blade carrier to oscillate the same, a pressure plate disposed above the bearing rod and co-operating with the outer face of the strop, a bowed spring interposed be tween the connecting portion of the rocking frame and the pressure plate, and an adj asting screw interposed between said connecting portion and the spring for varying the tension of the latter. 7

5. In a razor blade stropper, the combina tion with a main frame, including a bearing rod, of a strop re-bcnt over said. rod, a rocking-frame including spaced legs and a connecting portion, the legs embracing the strop and being fulcrumed on said rod, a razor blade carrier disposed between the end portions of the strop and journaled on the main frame below the rocking frame, means whereby the rocking frame engages said blade carrier to oscillate the same, a. pressure plate disposed above the bearing rod and co-opera'ting with the outer face of the strop, a bowed spring interposed between the connecting portion of the rocking frame and the pressure plate, said plate being provided with upwardly extending lugs to retain the spring in co-operative relation with said plate, and means for varying the tension of said spring.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

HARRY BUXTON HARTMAN. 

